Universe Falls: The Homefall AU
by Blazer333
Summary: An angsty AU based off of MiniJen's incredible story, Universe Falls.
1. Story Synopsis

From the creator of Universe Falls Oneshots and who is constantly being accused of being a sadistic dream demon (with very insufficient evidence mind you!), comes another AU to add to the ever-growing pile of AUs that we already have! I present:

 **THE HOME FALL AU!**

Taking place during the Stonemason arc in UF2, Stan one day recieves a devastating call. The twins parents have been killed in a terrible car accident, leaving Dipper and Mabel as orphans. Stan has two choices: Leave the twins in an orphanage in California or take them in as a legal guardian and have them stay in Gravity Falls. Stan of course has no problem taking the twins in, the real challenge is actually telling the kids the horrible news. Watches as the Gems help Stan break the news to Dipper and Mabel and watch as Steven and Connie support the twins during this time of tragedy.

Angst will ensue, tears will be shed, and Bill will most certainly make insensitive orphan jokes about this! All-in-all, this AU is basically UF2 with another layer of angst for all of our sick enjoyment! Thank you all very much! And remember:

THE HOME FALL AU! - "Because it can't get any worse for the twins….right?"

(Note: This is not connected to my other oneshots)


	2. The Worst Possible Time

The Worst Possible Time

Part of the Homefall AU

In the late afternoon of Gravity Falls, the sun was sitting on the horizon and was close to sinking down for the day. A mixture of yellow and orange painted the sky and a cool summer breeze blew gently through air. Unfortunately, this normally picturesque scene of summer had recently been soiled with an atmosphere of dread and misfortune. This newfound sense of dread had only begun only a few weeks ago when had returned from his abduction by Homeworld, only to return as a brainwashed assassin with a technological arm in place of his flesh one. Even though hope seemed lost to finding a way of bringing Dipper back to sense. Mabel, Steven and Connie were still determined to save him from this terrible fate. The kids' determination and resolve were so high, everyone couldn't help but feel the same way. Peridot and Ford worked harder than ever to find a cure to Dipper's brainwashing, while the Gems were ever vigilant to see when he would attack again. Despite the grim reality of the situation, everyone was still in high spirits, ready for the day Dipper would finally be free and reunited with his friends and family.

Stan had been feeling the same way….until he received that call. That damn call.

The conman was pacing in the gift shop of the Mystery Shack. The past weeks had rather tense on him, but now it felt like that a thousand more tons had added on his shoulders. It was no secret that Stanley Pines had through a lot throughout his many years on this planet. It seemed like his entire life was an uphill battle, but he always seemed to end up on top. He had spent years surviving off the streets using only his quick wit and brawn. He had fought off an entire horde of zombies to protect his family. He had even punched a sadistic dream demon out of existence. The conman had clearly overcome near-impossible odds, so why was just saying four words to Mabel seem so impossible. Stan let out an aggravated groan. "This literally can't get any worse." He muttered to himself.

"Yo Stan!" Stan suddenly looked back up as he turned around to the shack door, only to see that the Gems had unexpectedly dropped by. Amethyst quickly rushed in while Garnet and Pearl entered as well. During these solemn times, Stan usually found some comfort whenever the Gems were in his company. It reminded him that they were just as determined to save his family as much as he was. However, he still couldn't shed the grief he was feeling at the moment, even with their arrival. "You've seen your dorky brother around?" the purple Gem asked. "Peri said that she might have found a way to smack some sense into Dipper, so she sent us to find him because I guess she too lazy to come here herself!"

"Amethyst!" Pearl scolded her comrade. "You know Peridot is still busy work on her theories, and that's why she asked us to locate Ford for her! Do you even pay attention?!" Amethyst gave a simple shrug as the white Gem gave an aggravated groan. Stan gave a small smile at the two's antics, but it quickly dissipated as he was reminded about Ford. The conman still hadn't told him the news yet, and he couldn't imagine how bad it would be for the author if he was having a hard time with it. Stan turned his back to the Gems again and leaned on the counter. "Uh yeah Amethyst, I think Sixer's tinkering in that underground lab of his. Try checking there." He said, trying his best to hide his heavy grief.

Unfortunately, the Gems could easily detect that something was wrong with the conman. It was understandable that he would be down, what with his nephew being brainwashed and out to kill them all. However, the strange thing was that just yesterday, he was in high spirits and more than determined to do whatever possible to free Dipper once again. Amethyst, being closest to the conman, was the first to bring this up. "Uh Stan," the purple Gem said with caution. "Are you okay? You sound a bit…sad?" Stan shut his eyes, wishing that the Gems would just leave him alone. Luckily, coming up with on-the-spot lies was one of his many, dubious talents. "Hm? Oh uh…I'm fine. Just a little…bummed out about what going on with Dipper. I'll be fine!" he said with a weak smile. Before Stan could change the subject, Pearl was quick to point out an obvious flaw in his lie. "But just yesterday you seemed so determined and confident about saving Dipper. What could've happened in just one day that would cause you to lose so much ener-"

"Look, I'm fine, okay!?" Stan suddenly interrupted the white Gem as he faced the Gems again. His face was much sterner in hopes of driving them away so that he could think again in peace. However, the Gem were still determined to find out what the problem really was. Ever since last year, their bond with the conman had grown into one of respect and comradery, and with that came concern over the other's problems. They weren't going to leave Stan when he was obviously going through something. "Stan," Pearl began. "There's something obviously going on, and it's not just this Stonemason situation. I know you normally like to put on a tough bravado when dealing with your problems, but you don't have to do it alone. Garnet, Amethyst and I are here for you, and I think I speak for all of us when I say that we would be lousy friends if we weren't to help you in your time of need." While Garnet was still silent, she gave a solid nod.

Stan could only look down as his resolve was slowly deteriorating. As much as he hated to admit it, there was absolutely no way he could do this alone, and the was no way he could keep this to himself. If he was going to tell anyone, it might as well be his closest friends. However, before he could say anything, Amethyst began to speak up again. "Come on, Stan! You're the toughest old man I know! Whatever's going down, I'm pretty sure a badass like you could take on anything that life throws our wa-"

"The twins' parents are dead."

It felt as though all of the air was sucked out of the room as the conman said those five words. Amethyst cut off her sentence and was left absolutely speechless at what had just been uttered. The Gems and the conman just stood there in silence as each of them were processing what had just been said in their own way. Stan was still staring at the ground, finding it hard to believe that those revolting words had left his lips. He thought that telling someone else would help lighten his burden, however it appeared that it seemed to have only share it instead of getting rid of it. Amethyst was never really comfortable with the concept of death, whether it was one of her very few friends or her own. So, it came to no surprise that she felt an unpleasant weight drop in her stomach after she learned what happened to Dipper and Mabel's parents. Pearl could only put her hands to her mouth and try her best to shed tears. As if losing one of her pupils to Homeworld wasn't enough, now she had to deal with said pupil losing a part of his family. Garnet still didn't move a muscle and didn't utter a word. Her shades covered most of her face, making it difficult to figure out how she was dealing with this news. After what seemed like ages of silence, Pearl was the first in the room to find the courage to speak up again. "S-Stan…what do you mean that the twins' parents are-"

"I MEAN THAT DIPPER AND MABEL'S PARENTS ARE DEAD!" Stan shouted, obviously annoyed that he had to repeat such terrible news again. The conman saw Amethyst and Pearl's shocked expression and slightly felt guilty. He knew that this wasn't their fault at all; it just seemed like he was releasing some pent-up anger. Stan gave a tired sigh as he empathized in a much calmer tone. "I'm sorry. It's just, I just got the call this morning and I'm still…trying to make sense of all of this." The white and purple Gems relaxed their expression, replacing shock with concern. "S-so, does this mean that both Dipper and Mabel are now…orphans?" Pearl asked, having a hard time saying that last word. Stan gave a gruff, unable to look Pearl in the eyes. "Yeah," he answered. "I guess they are." For the second time, the room went completely silent.

As Stan looked up again, a spark had erupted inside of him. It was a spark of anger and realization that slowly evolution into a slow-growing rage. The source of this spark came from looking at Garnet, who still had on an unreadable expression. "You…" he hissed with venom. The conman charged towards the fusion, bumping Amethyst and Pearl out of the way. He got right in front of the Gem leader, even if he had to slightly look up to meet her gaze. "You could've done something." He said grimly. Pearl and Amethyst could only standby and watch, neither of them knowing what to do or say to defuse this situation. It looked as though Garnet was about to say something, but Stan harshly cut her off. "Don't you give me any of your shitty excuses, Shades! I know about your "Future Vision" gimmick and I know for a fact that it got you or the kids out of tricky situations in the past. So my only question is: WHY THE HELL DID YOU NOT DO ANYTHING TO PREVENT THIS?!"

Though it was still hard to tell, Garnet looked taken aback by the conman's sudden outburst. "You could've done something!" Stan yelled as he grabbed on to the fusion's vest. "You could've warned me about how they were in danger! You could've told me that there was a chance that they would die that night! I could've stopped them from going out and they would still be alive! But you didn't say anything and now they're dead! Thanks to you, those kids will never see their parents again! IS THAT WANT YOU WANTED?!" Garnet still didn't say a word, despite the accusation. While Amethyst and Pearl were still stunned by the conman's bold claims, they couldn't help themselves in asking the same thing. Why did Garnet say anything despite her ability of clairvoyance? However, both Gems were caught by surprise when they finally heard something from their leader's mouth. "I-I wish it was clearer." Garnet mumbled. Despite finally hearing something from the fusion, Stan still wasn't satisfied. "Clearer?" Stan yelled, reaching for her shades so that he could finally stare her dead in the eyes. "What the hell do you…mean…clearer?"

Stan slowly cut himself off as he threw the shades off and was met with a surprising sight. The fusion's face was awash with sadness, grief and regret. She was clearly holding back tears as all three of her eyes were welling up and on the verge of breaking. Her mouth that was once solid of stone was now quivering as she couldn't hold back her emotions anymore. "Stanley, I beg of you, PLEASE forgive me!" the Gem leader cried out. "Ever since Weirdmageddon, ever since Dipper was…taken away from us, my vision is so limited! Everything is so unpredictable, it's just so hard to pinpoint exactly what might happen! I-I did see what happened to them, I saw the accident! But is so unfocused and so dim, I thought is was just another unlikely future! I just put in the back in my mind, hoping that it was just nothing! But then I saw you just now and I…I…this is all my fault!" As the tear finally began to stream down Garnet's cheeks, Stan's expression softened. He knew a liar when he saw one, but he was clearly not in the presence of one right now. Garnet was clearly devastated by this sudden turn of events, and it seemed like her clairvoyant abilities had failed to warn her. It seemed as though he had directed his rage onto someone who was also in shock from all of this.

"Stan please!" The conman's train of thought was interrupted as Pearl put an apprehensive hand on his shoulder. "It's clearly obvious that Garnet had no idea that this would happen. Could you please just…tell us what exactly happened." Stan let go of Garnet's vest and backed off to where he originally stood. He looked over to the fusion to see that she had summoned her visor again. Stan sighed and told the story that he had just been told this morning. "I got the call from the Piedmont Police Department this morning. The twin's parents were out for the night and…some drunk driver just sidewinded them out of nowhere." His fists started clench up at the memory. "The drunk bastard survived, but they weren't so lucky. They died on impact, there was nothing the paramedics could do." The Gems could only look on in horrid silence as the events of Stan's story played out in their minds. While they didn't exactly know the twin's parents personally, they knew Dipper and Mabel, and how they sometimes talked about how awesome their parents were. To think now that the kids would never see them again just broke their hearts to pieces. "So, what happens now," Amethyst solemnly asked. "To Dipper and Mabel, I mean?" Stan gave another gruff sigh. "They said that I had two options. Either I drop them off over at some orphanage they got in California or that they stay here in Gravity Falls with me as their legal guardian." Pearl gasped as a sudden thought occurred to her. "Stan," the white Gem said. "You're not actually thinking about sending the twins awa-"

"I'm NOT gonna just dump the kids off to rot away in an orphanage, Pearl!" Stan interrupted her, sounding insulted that the white Gem would even think he would do something like that. "There's no way I could do that to them. They help me finally get my brother back, they're some of the only family I has left in this world. I punched a dinosaur in the face just to save Mabel's pet for crying out loud! You think I'm just going forget those two just like that?! Well fat chance! The kids are staying right here and that's final!" Stan stomped his foot to the ground to emphasize his point that he would never leave Dipper and Mabel in their time of need. The Gem were silent, but they couldn't help but be rather touched by the conman's devotion to his nibblings. It reminded them of how they would always be there for Steven, no matter what the young Gem would ever go through in the future. However, it wasn't really any different when came to Dipper and Mabel either. After almost two summers of hardships, challenges, merriment and adventure, the Gems really saw the twins in the same light as Steven. They were practically dedicated to protecting the twins from harm and making sure that they were healthy and happy. Just like family.

Stan them dropped his sudden bravado and returned to his downtrodden state. "But…that's not the thing that's making me worried right now. It's….something else." He sighed and lowered his head. Garnet suddenly stepped forward towards Stan. It appeared that the fusion had regain her composure again now that the conman seemed to not blame her anymore. "Stan," she gently stated. "It's about Mabel, isn't it?" The conman gritted his teeth, wondering why the fusion had a natural inclination to be right most of the time. He let another heavy sigh and faced the Gems again. He had gone this far with them, he might as well just pour his heart out. "In case you haven't noticed, the kid has been dealing with a LOT of emotional trauma lately. Even since Dipper came back as some brainwashed cyborg assassin, it's been harder and harder for that girl to smile every day. But somehow, she still does it! She always keeping that hope up that one day, she's finally gonna get her twin brother back. But something like this, at this time?! I'm worried that she won't bounce back from this. How the hell am I supposed to even break the news to her?! 'Hey Mabel! Sorry to interrupt you from trying get back your only twin brother, but it turns out you folks bit the dust! Okay, good luck?!' There's just no easy way out of this!" Stan then slammed his fist against the counter in utter frustration. "I've travelled across the country, fought off a horde of zombies and punched a demon in the face. Yet, I can't even tell my own flesh and blood that she just lost her parents. What does that even make me?"

Stan hung his head low as he went silent again. If there was one thing he hated more than anything, it was feeling like a failure. A failure that couldn't be there for his own family in their time of need. A failure that had let his own nephew be kidnapped and turned into a slave for an alien ruler. A failure that couldn't even find the guts to tell his niece that she would never see her parents again. The conman was prepared to retreat back to his office to see if he could find a way to delay the news even further, but something unexpected happened. Garnet placed a tender hand on his shoulder and answered his previous question. "It makes you human, Stanley." Stan turned around to look at the fusion. Before he could question what exactly she had meant by that, Garnet continued with her thought. "Stan, what your feeling right now is nothing to be ashamed of. I understand that you're afraid for Mabel right now, but I implore you to please believe in her. You and I both know that girl is a lot more than meets the eye. However, I really think that we should tell her right away. If we delay this any further, there could be disastrous consequences. You have my word that me, Amethyst, Pearl and Steven will be there when you tell Mabel. You won't have to do this alone."

The conman looked over to the other Gems in the room who were both nodding and giving weary smiles. He began to feel slightly better now that he knew that the Gems would be there when he would eventually have to break the news to Mabel. However, there was still something else that worried him. "But, what about me? Do you really think I have what it takes to be a proper guardian? In case you forgot, I'm not exactly the best role model for up-and-coming teenagers. I mean, I know there's also Ford, but he's not exactly parent material either. You guys know he burns his face instead of shaving, right?" Garnet remained steady and gave a small smile. "We thought the same thing when we began to look over Steven. We were scared at first, but Rose trusted us enough to care for her own son for a reason. She knew that in time, we would exactly what to do. And it will be no different for you and Stanford. And besides, you won't be alone. We'll be there to look after Mabel as well. After all, you're family.

The Gem leader ended her speech with a sudden hug to the conman. He was certainly surprised by the hug, but it was certainly not unwelcomed. Stan almost found it hard to believe that only a year ago, he had only tolerated the Gems at best. Now here they were, being by his side in one of the most challenging moments in his life. "Uhh, not exactly sure how to react to…this," he said awkwardly. "But I definitely appreciate it." Garnet ended the hug and backed away as Amethyst walked up to the conman. Stan could have sworn he saw the faintest of tears in the corner of the purple Gem's eyes, but knowing Amethyst, she had probably held them back to look tough. "Just…..c'mere, you cranky old man!" The purple Gem then hugged the conman around his waist. He could help but smile as he gently draped an arm on her shoulder. Stan looked up to see that Pearl was still where she was, arms folded and standing rigidly. "What, no love for me, Pearl?" he said with a small, cocky grin. The white Gem simply rolled her eyes. "I don't think we're on the level of hugs, Stan." The conman gave a small chuckle as he looked down to Amethyst but looked up again as he felt a hand on his shoulder. "But, I'm certainly not afraid to be there for you." Pearl said.

After the tender moment between Stan and the Gems, Amethyst separated from the hug. "Amethyst," Garnet instructed. "Go into town and bring Mabel and Steven here. Don't tell Steven what happened though. You know he's not the best at keeping secrets." The purple Gem gave a serious nod as she rushed out to find the pair in town. After she left, Stan sighed as he remembered something else he had to do. "Well, guess I better go down and tell Sixer what happened. Hopefully he takes it better than I did." The conman began to walk towards the basement entrance when he was interrupted by Pearl's voice. "We'll come with you, Stan. It'll be easier." The Gems couldn't see it, but that had put a grateful smile on Stan's face.

What had happened was a tragedy. A tragedy that Stan couldn't have done anything to prevent it. He thought that he would have to break his niece's heart and it would all be on him. But thankfully, he wasn't alone. He had friends that would be with him when he would have to do the hardest thing in his life. He had friends that would help him raise Mabel so that she would still be the cheering fun-loving girl after all of this.

He had friends that he had considered family.


	3. Breaking the News and Her Heart

Breaking the News and Her Heart

A sequel to The Worst Possible Time

If there was one thing that Mabel Pine was known for, other than her eccentric personality, it was her positivity. Normally, when a person tries to stay positive for a long period of time, it usually ends with them just being drained out and reverting back to whatever neutral mood they were in. This was not the case with Mabel Pines. For some unexplainable reason, it seemed like the girl had an unlimited well of positivity that she could tap into at the drop of a hat. Not just that, but it was also highly contagious, so she always produced this aura that made most people around look more on the bright side. Of course, Mabel had her somber moments, or there were times she had to be serious for the appropriate situation. However, these moments usually didn't last very long and before anyone knew it, she would be back to her old optimistic self again. There were a lot of constants in the universe, and Mabel's endless positivity was just one of them.

It was a skill that was especially useful during these trying times. For the first few days after she and Steven had barely escaped Homeworld, Mabel was absolutely devastated when Dipper didn't return with them. It was almost to the point where her famous unending positivity was at risk of permanently fade away. However, things changed when Dipper did miraculously return to Gravity Falls, only as someone completely different. Stonemason had caused endless havoc to the small Oregon town in his quest to essentially kill Dipper, but Mabel saw it in a different light. After the initial shock had passed, it was like a fire was ignited in her soul. She had just found out that her twin brother was alive. He was under some kind of mind-control albeit, but he was still alive. From that point, Mabel's positivity returned as she was determined to find some way to bring her brother back. No matter how long it took or how much effort it took to snap Dipper out of it, the girl was on a mission. This determination spread to Steven, Connie, the Gems, Stan and everyone as the quest to rescue Dipper had begun, with Mabel in the lead.

That was exactly what Mabel was doing that afternoon as she and Steven wandered around the lake. Mabel had convinced the young Gem help her scout the town to see if they could find where Stonemason was holed up. Her hopes were that maybe if they could catch the assassin off-guard it would give them a better chance to snap him out of whatever trance he was in. Steven happily agreed to come along with the girl today, mostly to provide some protection incase things got violent. They decided to spend the day searching the lake first, but they couldn't find Dipper anywhere near the lake. While this was somewhat disheartening, Mabel knew that there was always tomorrow to search again. The pair were about to head into town when Amethyst suddenly showed up to tell them that they were needed at the Shack immediately. Mabel could have sworn that Amethyst seemed more distant than usual, but the purple Gem retreated back to the Shack before they could ask further question. With no other reason to not accept the Gem's request, Steven and Mabel innocently made their way to the Mystery Shack to see what was going on. Unfortunately, both of them were unaware of the earth-shattering news that they were about to receive.

As the two kids made it back to the Shack, Steven slowed down as he began to ponder more about what exactly what was going on. "Mabel," he asked Mabel. "Why do you think Amethyst called us here? She seemed a little bit…off. Like she was distant or something?" The girl turned around to look her best friend and saw the worry in his eyes. She gave him a simple smile and did her best to reassure him. "Steven, don't worry too much, okay? Grunkle Stan probably just wants to talk to me about how I've been pushing myself lately with finding Dipper. But never worry! I know exactly what to say to reassure him and before you know it, we'll back to saving my bro-bro again!" Steven could help but smile at the girl's enthusiasm as he gave a determined nod. The two kids finally went inside the Shack to see what Stan had exactly wanted with them.

Mabel was admittedly surprise when she saw that not only Stan was in the living room, but Ford and the Gems as well. What was even weirder was that they had looks that seemed rather odd to the girl. Garnet's expression was stoic and stern, which wasn't exactly out of the ordinary for the Gem leader. Amethyst was just like she was at the lake, looking downtrodden and avoiding eye contact. Pearl was looking at Mabel, although it was a look of worry and concern. Ford was the most peculiar, he had on a neutral look, but Mabel could have sworn she saw tear stains around his eyes. And finally there was Stan, who just looked tired in general, but gave the girl a small smile. With everyone in the room looking so serious, Mabel realized that this was a bigger problem than he thought. It looked like she would have to put on the "Mabel charm" to put everyone at ease. Meanwhile, Steven saw everyone in the room and realized something was very wrong.

"Uh, heya pumpkin, how's it going?" Stan said trying his best to break the tension in the room. "Heard you've looking real hard for Dipper, right?" Mabel put on a proud smile and put her hands to her hips. "Yep," she said enthusiastically. "Been looking high and low for him around the lake. Don't worry though, I dragged Steven along just in case Stonemason gets all crazy!" Steven gave a small nod to confirm this. "Have you…found anything yet?" Ford asked carefully. Mabel's smile faltered a little bit, but her voice was still full of enthusiasm and confidence. "Not yet, Grunkle Ford. But there's always tomorrow! Dipper would never give up on me, so I plan on never giving up on him!" Mabel's rather optimistic thought was interrupted by a disgruntled groan from Amethyst. "Can we just tell her alright? The suspense is killing-"

"Amethyst!" Pearl quickly hushed the purple Gem. "We need to be delicate with this." Now Steven was really worried right now. The only times that the Gems acted so hesitantly about something was when something disastrous happened. "Guys," the young Gem asked. "Is there something going on with you guys? You all look…really worried all the sudden. I know you guys are still worried about Dipper, but it looks like there's something else going on." Garnet placed a steady hand on Stan's shoulder and gave him a firm nod. The conman understood the silent message and let out a heavy sigh. "Mabel," he said, staring directly into his niece's eyes. "There's some that we need to talk with you about." The conman had worked himself up for this moment, and he wasn't planning on backing out now. It was time to rip the bandage off.

However, before the conman could speak up, Mabel put up a hand to Stan's face. "Hold that thought for one second, Grunkle Stan," the girl stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "I know what you're going to say. You, Grunkle Ford and the Gems are all worried that I maybe pushing myself a little too hard with finding Dipper. Well, don't you worry about me, because I feel fantastic! Sure, I've spent less time eating and sleeping since I've been busy with trying to figure out how to save Dipper, but I've been keeping myself loaded on sugar packets and Mabel Juice, so I'm always full of energy!" To prove her point, Mabel started to twirl around a few times to demonstrate her excess energy. Stan cringed at his niece's antics, almost hurting him on how oblivious the girl was about what was really going on. "Mabel…" he said, trying to get the girl to be serious but ultimately failing. "Yep, big ball of energy, I am! Sure, I have one or two major crashes and random time intervals, but it rarely happens! It's all gonna be worth it when we save Dipper from whatever mind junk that mean Yellow Diamond put him under. Then me, him, Steven and Connie can all have our summer back again! It'll be just like the old days, solving mysteries and all that! It'll be awesome! Sure, me and Dipper will have to go back home again soon, but there's always next summer too!" The situation was becoming worse and worse by the minute. Pearl was about to speak up but was stopped by Garnet. The Gem leader shook her head at her comrade, implying that this was something Stan had to do himself. Meanwhile, the conman was getting frustrated by this, so he attempted to take a more direct route instead. "Mabel…you're parents….they're…" Stan tried his hardest to say, but was interrupted once again. "Oh, Mom and Dad? Yeah, I guess it'll be kinda hard to explain Dipper's…new arm when we get back to California, but it won't change anything! Mom and Dad will still love Dipper for the lovable dork that he is! It might take some time to adjust, but I know Mom and Dad will be patient and supportive. They're some of the greatest parents around, and it'll be nice to have Mom's cookies, listen to Dad's terrible jokes and just be there for each other like a big, happy famil-"

"MABEL!" Stan grabbed both of Mabel's shoulders and looked at her straight in the eyes. "Your mom and dad passed away last night."

At that single sentence, Mabel's mind went completely blank. It was as if all of air, color and sound in the room, leaving the girl in a cold, empty void for what seemed like five minutes. Pure shock was all able to be expressed on her face. Her mind kept repeating that sentence over and over again, desperately trying to see if she misheard her grunkle.. But alas, there was no mistaking it, she heard what she heard. As for Steven, his shock was almost as big and Mabel's. The young just believe that his best friend's parent…just passed away. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Mabel finally found the ability to speak again. "W-W-What…What do mean they…passed away.

The difficulty of the conversation was starting to get to Stan, as he backed away from his niece and couldn't even look at her. Thankfully, Ford decided that it was his turn to talk to Mabel about this horrible situation. The scientist took a knee in front of his niece, gently looking into her eyes. "Mabel," he slowly began. "Your mother and father died in a car accident last night. Your parents were on their way home from an outing when…a truck driver who was completely intoxicated crashed into the side of their car. They died on impact, there was nothing the paramedics could do. I…can't express how sorry I am." As Mabel heard the tales of how her loving parents met their untimely end, tears began to naturally well up in her eyes. Her mind was still finding hard to grasp the cold reality she was in right now. "No….no that's not possible! My parents would never be so reckless! You're lying! You're all just LYING!" Mabel's voice went from somber to outrage, as if she was angered that her family and friends would even try to trick her like this.

"Mabel, we're telling you the truth! Why would we make you think your parents are dead?" Amethyst sharply said, trying to snap the girl out of her denial. The tears finally broke pass the eyes and were now streaming down Mabel's cheeks. She couldn't deny that the purple Gem had a point. Whether Mabel wanted to believe it or not, Stan was telling her the truth. Her parents were dead and now she was officially an orphan. As she came to terms with this thought, Mabel began to break down into tears. No one in the room knew exactly how to comfort the sobbing girl, but the white Gem decided to at least try.

"Mabel," Pearl said she approached the poor girl. "I know you must be devastated right now." The white Gem slowly extended her hand to gently wipe away the tears. "In my many years on this planet, I've lost many of my comrades. So, I know that you must have a sort of…empty feeling in your heart. But please believe me when I say that it will get easier with time and patience. Just know that-" Pearl was interrupted when Mabel suddenly pushed Pearl's hand away from her. "Easier? EASIER?! My parents are dead! How am I ever going to get over that, Pearl?! Do you have any idea what this means?!" The girl paused to see if anyone in the room would dare to take a guess at what she was referring to, but there was complete silence. "I just lost my twin brother and now I find out that my parents are gone. Why is all of this happening to me? Did I do something so terrible that I deserve all of this?! Why is my family suddenly being taken away from me?! WHY DOES THE UNIVERSE WANT ME TO BE ALONE!?"

Before Stan could say anything to comfort his niece, Mabel rushed out the door, heading to parts unknown. The living room was left in an awkward and somber silence as no one in the room knew exactly what to say after Mabel's outburst. The silence continued until Stan finally let out a tired sigh. "Well, that could have gone better." He said, trying to break the tension. While Amethyst put her hand on the conman's shoulder in support, Steven was still awe-struck at what had just happened. His mind began racing on how exactly he could help Mabel in a time like this. In the past, Steven was no stranger to providing emotional support to his friends whenever things got too intense during one of their adventures. However, the death of a family member was something entirely different. Did he really have to the ability to properly comfort Mabel from such a loss?

"Steven…" The young Gem's train of thought was interrupted as he was addressed by Garnet. He looked to the Gem leader to see what wisdom she would offer him this time. "Go to her, Steven. I know right now that you're doubting whether you can support Mabel during her time of need, but you still need to see her. She needs someone who can convince that she's not alone, and I can't think of anyone better than you." Garnet finished off by giving Steven a small smile. "Kid," Steven then turned to Stan. "I don't know if this will be useful, but tell Mabel that she's going to be living here in Gravity Falls with us. I'm not gonna dump her in some rundown orphanage. Just…use that "charm" of yours and I'm sure she'll listen to you. I'm counting on you, kid.

That was all the reassurance the young Gem needed as he gave a firm nod and made his way out the door. Ford walked next to the Gem leader and gave her a concerned look. "Do you…think he'll be able to make Mabel smile again?" the author asked. Garnet didn't give a response right away and adjusted her shades. "It will be difficult," she said. "And I'm not sure if it will be immediate. But I believe does have what it takes. That boy knows how to mend a broken heart."

Mabel didn't know how long she had been running for, and frankly, she didn't care. She was too sad or too angry to care about anything at the moment. All she wanted to do was to just run away from thought that another part of her family had been taken from her. She knew that was physically impossible, but that didn't stop her from trying anyway. Unfortunately, Mabel didn't pay attention to her footing, so she ended tripping and getting a face full of sand. When Mabel got back up and brushed off her face, she noticed that she was back at the lake. The late afternoon sky colored the lake with a beautiful mix of reds and yellows, creating a scene from an exquisite painting. Feeling tired front her sprint, Mabel decided to just sit down on the lakeshore and look into the horizon. However, this did little to dull the pain that was aching in her heart. The girl was starting to realize what was happening to her. First it was Dipper, and now it was her beloved parents. Her family was being taken away from her faster than she realized. She could only wonder how long it be before she would be left all alone.

"Mabel!" The girl turned around to find that Steven had followed her and had eventually caught with her. "Go away, Steven," she said turn back to look at the horizon again. "I don't want to talk. Just…leave me alone." That was something Steven couldn't afford to do. The young Gem knew that his friend needed him now more than ever. The poor girl was already very sensitive, so Steven knew he had to trend carefully with this. "Listen Mabel," he said, still feeling a little out of breath. "I know things are really hard right now. But please believe me when I say I'm here for you and I know what you're going through. You know that I lost my mom when I was really young. So…" Steven trailed off when he heard Mabel let out a sad sigh.

"Steven, that's completely different. You didn't even get to know your mom before she…died. But I knew Mom and Dad for my whole life! Birthdays, holidays, family outings, there were so many special moments with them that I'll never get to experience again. I'll never get to see their smiling faces again or feel the warmth of their hugs." Mabel hugged her knees to her chest as fresh tears began forming in her eyes. "What if we're not able to save Dipper? What if he's stuck as Stonemason forever? Do you realize what that means, Steven? It would mean that almost all of my family would be gone. And I really hate to admit it, but Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford are really old, and they won't be around for long. After that, I won't have any family left, I'll be alone." The tears broke free from Mabel's eyes again as the thought of being the only surviving member of the Pines family. "Steven, just leave me alone. I might as well just get use to spending-"

Mabel cut herself short when she felt two, warm arms wrap around her. She turned around to see that Steven had pulled her into a hug, but there was something else. She looked into the young Gem's eyes and found only comfort and concern in them. For a moment, Mabel felt safe as she just looked into Steven's eyes. After a few moments, Mabel broke down crying again, only this time, she started weeping into Steven's shoulder. For the next 10 minutes, Mabel just continued to sob into the young Gem shoulder, causing his shirt to get rather damp in the process. However, this didn't matter to Steven, as he continued to hug the poor girl and gently brush her hair to comfort her. After what seemed like hours of hugging and crying, Mabel started to calm down. She then looked to the young Gem again, her eyes red from all of her weeping. Steven gave a gently smile and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Mabel, I want you to listen to me closely." He said calmly. Mabel gave a small sniffle and let the young Gem say what he needed to say. "I know it feels like that you don't have any family left, but that's not true. Mr. Pines told me that you're going to be living here in Gravity falls with us. He promised that he would never put you in an orphanage. Mr. Pines and Mr. Ford might be old, but I have a feeling that they're going to be around for a long time." This did bring some comfort to Mabel. Gravity Falls was always like a second home to her, so at least she won't be into an unfamiliar environment. However, there still doubt in her mind about the future, but Steven wasn't finished yet. "And you should know that there'll always be a place for you at the Temple as well. As far as I'm concerned, you and Dipper are a part of my family too. Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl all agree with me when I say that you are family. So, just know that you'll never be alone in this world, not as long as we are around."

Sadness was still saturated in Mabel's heart, but she was still moved by Steven's touching words and drew him in for another hug. Knowing that she still had family in the form of Steven and the Gem gave her a sense of safety from the crippling fear of being left alone in the world. However, there was still one concern that was plaguing her mind. "Telling Dipper about…this is going to be really difficult." She said in a disheartening tone. Steven responded in an equally saddened tone. "I know," he said. "But we'll worry about that when we finally save him."

With that, Mabel closed her eyes and leaned her head on the young Gem's shoulder again. As much as she wanted to smile at this reassuring thought, she couldn't. Her heart was still hurting, and she didn't feeling forcing on a fake smile. But in the end, that was okay. Because she had other people that could be positive for her. She didn't have to carry the world's optimism on her shoulders all the time. She could just sit back and silently enjoy the optimism that other provided for her. But she knew that this was only temporary. After an appropriate amount of time of mourning and grieving, she would be able to smile at the world again. Even if she didn't have her parents anymore.

After all, she would always have family to smile at.


End file.
